Gophers' safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to the Vikings in the NFL Draft?
Hunter Johnson #15 of the Northwestern Wildcats is sacked by Antoine Winfield Jr. #11 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Ryan Field on November 23, 2019 in Evanston, Illinois. ((Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS - Welcome to the NFL off-season, where there seems to be a new mock draft every other day.
We won’t know what the Minnesota Vikings will do until April, but the latest name being thrown out there should sound very familiar to Minnesota football fans. According to the latest mock draft put out by ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., the Vikings are slated to take University of Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. with the No. 25 pick in the first round.
Winfield finished the 2019 season a consensus All-American, the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and a First Team All-Big ten pick as the Gophers won 11 games for the first time in 115 years. Winfield led the defense with 88 tackles, 66 solo tackles and three sacks. He also led the Big Ten with seven interceptions, which ranked in the top five in the country.
After the Gophers beat Auburn in the Outback Bowl, Winfield opted to forego his final two years of athletic eligibility and declared for the NFL Draft. His first two collegiate seasons ended early with injuries, but he made a splash this year when fully healthy for all 13 games.
If the Vikings do go with Winfield Jr., it could be a sign of what’s to come in free agency next month, with Anthony Harris, Mackensie Alexander and Trae Waynes all possibly exploring the market.
Winfield’s father, Antoine Winfield, spent nine of his 14 seasons with the Vikings and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
Todd McShay, ESPN’s other draft analyst, has the Vikings taking Iowa offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs with the No. 25 pick. CBS Sports has the Vikings taking Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs, the brother of current receiver Stefon Diggs, at No. 25, as does Sports Illustrated.
Stay tuned, we’ll see several more mock drafts before it all becomes reality in April.